The Decemberists - "The Infanta"
Why would I post a second song by this band that I don?t really like, you ask? Well, I?ve had enough of your questions. God, I?m not your dad!
?The Infanta? is a trip on a pirate ship setting off from England and travelling eastward. The melodrama appeals to the prog fan in me: tom drums drive, organ pushes, strings swish and crash like a mighty sea, distorted guitar strums explode like cannons, the story is preposterous.
Anyway, it still sounds like a big Neutral Milk Hotel jack with a Fiery Furnaces chord change and some Genesis showmanship. [Info]
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Society of Rockets - "Little Road"
Acoustic guitar and reverb drenched vocals present a lullaby for driving and searching. Don?t fall asleep at the wheel. [Buy]
Posted by Jordan at January 18, 2005 4:28 AMi swear the only reason i download stuff from this site is because your writing cracks me up all the time.
but hey, it's (mostly) good!
Posted by roz at January 18, 2005 12:00 PMthat society of rockets is great, sounds like the great lake swimmers stuff you put up a few weeks ago
Posted by ed at January 18, 2005 12:49 PMI agree with the first post. The biggest plus this blog has is not just the funny comments about the tracks, but that it seems that this is the only blog out there that will criticize many bands that it seems every other indie blog is praising.
Nice to read reviews without the pompousness and flowery crap so many other sites seem to use. (Is anyone else sick of the feces spewing from reviewers mouths when they discuss Arcade Fire???)
Posted by Aaron at January 18, 2005 2:51 PMThis song is incredible. And thanks for taking the risk on the Decemberists track. I personally love them, but it took me a while (and about 2 dozen playings of "California One Youth and Beauty Brigade").
Thanks for your site.
Posted by Dylan at January 18, 2005 5:53 PMi suggest that you read colin meloy's post on the band's message board about the new album leaking. he's specifically said that he's disappointed by it all and hopes that everyone will have enough restraint to not download it and certainly not distribute it, or any part of it.
it would be nice if you could respect his wishes.
Posted by sarah at January 18, 2005 7:37 PMoh christ! my mother has found this blog!
i didn't realize she was on the decemberist's street team.
granted, it's not nice when you only download free shit,
but if you notice this weblog posts mp3's for evaluation and review purposes. it's right there. this isn't kazaa... it's not as if the whole album is available with jpegs of the front and back artwork.
besides, mr meloy's label will just countermand his blanket request when they start promoting the shit out of the new decemberists album... AND IT'S JUST THAT -- a blanket statement... i'm sure if mr meloy took the time to examine the sites that have posted his mp3's, he might change his tune. either that or he could just ask "the gramaphone" to take it down personally.
besides who reads bands message boards? they suck. ego stroking and "i like their old stuff better" posts.
Posted by e_p at January 18, 2005 10:51 PMthe decemberists rock, i like their older stuff better.
ps- you can't write a great song about a PIRATE SHIP and not expect the internets to not plunder it! it's just too much temptation.
Posted by justin whye at January 19, 2005 12:31 AMOh man, why must everyone tempt me with the new Decemberists songs? March 22nd gets further and further away every time I find a site with leaked tracks.
Also, I really enjoyed the Society of Rockets song.
great writing. unpredictable. thanks.
Posted by d at January 19, 2005 8:22 AMEveryone loves to toss out the "Neutral Milk Hotel rip off" line, but could you tell me where specifically to look for this similarity?
The only NMH I own is a very early 7" on Cher Doll records "Everything Is" b/w "Snow Song". I've heard the other stuff here and there for years and it never did much for me so I don't own any.
I've always thought Colin Meloy borrowed lots from Robyn Hitchcock, both sound and lyric wise, but not in a bad way. But whenever I hear NMH, I don't hear it.
So please, tell me an NMH song that I can listen to to hear this similarity...Please!
Posted by Garibaldianne at January 22, 2005 9:11 PMThanks for the Society of Rockets song. It made me search out and buy the album, and I have that good feeling you get when a band makes you all tingly about music again. So, see? Posting these tracks really does help.
But I'm still not buying that Decemberists record. Even more so after that annoying post by Meloy, which in my opinion didn't make a lot of sense anyway.
Posted by hermance at January 24, 2005 5:36 PMI play keyboards in Society of Rockets, and I wanted to say thanks for posting our track! And a special thanks to hermance for buying a copy! If you like our new incarnation as Society of Rcokets, you might like the gigantic free archive of Shimmer Kids music that we put up recently at http://www.shimmerkids.com .
Posted by David at January 25, 2005 1:09 PMI just downloaded a bunch of the Shimmer Kids songs today, as a matter of fact, David. It is some great stuff, and I really regret not hearing of you sooner. I love it when you find music that reminds you why you keep trying to find stuff. Anyway, I really can't wait for the Society of Rockets record to arrive. I know you live far away, but if you ever make it to North Carolina, know that at least one fan will show up (and bring friends!).
Posted by hermance at January 25, 2005 2:31 PM
and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'
